Good Boy Review
By Kevin Hoskinson
Entertainment Editor | Pastrami Nation
Good Boy is a haunted house movie like no other. It has all the elements you expect but tells its story in a genuinely unique way. What could have easily been a gimmick turns into a highly relatable and compelling way to see the world. As any animal lover can attest, our pets do the strangest things. Who among us hasn’t wondered why our pets are staring into that corner when nobody is there or scratching to get into that one room when you know it’s empty? This movie doesn’t answer those questions, but it does give us some insight.
The cool thing about this film is that it’s told from the point of view of a pet dog named Indy. Suffering from a chronic long-term disease, his owner, Todd, moves them to a remote house in the forest from New York City. Todd’s sister, Vera, is convinced the house is haunted and that it contributed to their grandfather’s death, who originally owned the home. As it turns out, she is correct, and even though Todd denies it, Indy knows it’s all too real and will stop at nothing to protect his owner from the ultimate fate.
Without wasting any time, we have to get the most important thing out of the way: nothing bad happens to Indy. He is a good boy who gets into some creepy situations, but ultimately, he pulls through mostly unscathed. At the end of the movie, a short featurette chronicling the making of the film was played, and it is the most charming and adorable film shoot you will ever witness. The real drama comes from the fact that Indy knows what’s up, but Todd continues to spiral out of control. He can’t see what his dog does, and that creates a tension like no other.
Coming in at a mere 73 minutes, the movie moves swiftly and never overstays its welcome. There are a couple of moments where it feels like it’s about to stall out, but it picks back up and keeps moving along. It’s a low-budget affair, so there aren’t many bells and whistles, but that’s also what makes it work. In many ways, it reminds me of The Blair Witch Project. Much like that film, Good Boy feels forbidden, like we shouldn’t be watching it. It has that indie DIY spirit and gritty attitude, creating an atmosphere where hidden horrors could lurk around every corner. It helps that director Ben Leonberg decided to shoot the film from Indy’s perspective, meaning a lot of low shots with a limited line of sight. It’s an interesting and effective aesthetic that adds so much to the horror.
This is a film that has cult classic written all over it. It’s also a great gateway horror film, thanks to its PG-13 rating and lack of excessive blood or gore. It doesn’t rely on jump scares as much as it does atmosphere, which I truly appreciate. It’s a great film for spooky season and will be a cool addition to your seasonal lineup. It’s not perfect, but it’s really good and certainly deserves a watch.
Rating: 3.5 Pastrami Nations out of 5.
